unite
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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unites,
present (3rd person singular)
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united,
past participle, past
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uniting
present participle
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to join, combine, or incorporate so as to form a single whole or unit.
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to cause to adhere.
to unite two pieces of wood with glue.
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to cause to be in a state of mutual sympathy, or to have a common opinion or attitude.
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to have or exhibit in union or combination.
a person who unites generosity and forgiveness.
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to join in marriage.
verb (used without object)
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unites,
present (3rd person singular)
-
united,
past participle, past
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uniting
present participle
-
to become joined together or combined so as to form a single whole.
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to act in concert or agreement.
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to share a common opinion, attitude, etc.
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to be joined by or as if by adhesion.
noun
verb
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to make or become an integrated whole or a unity; combine
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to join, unify or be unified in purpose, action, beliefs, etc
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to enter or cause to enter into an association or alliance
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to adhere or cause to adhere; fuse
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(tr) to possess or display (qualities) in combination or at the same time
he united charm with severity
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archaic to join or become joined in marriage
noun
Usage
What are other ways to say unite? To unite is to combine or incorporate two or more things so as to form a single whole or unit. How is unite different from connect and join? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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uniternoun
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nonunitableadjective
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nonuniteableadjective
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nonunitingadjective
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unitableadjective
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uniteableadjective
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ununitableadjective
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ununitingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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unitesimple
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unitessimple
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have unitedperfect
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has unitedperfect
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am unitingprogressive
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are unitingprogressive
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is unitingprogressive
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have been unitingperfect progressive
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has been unitingperfect progressive
Past
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unitedsimple
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had unitedperfect
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was unitingprogressive
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were unitingprogressive
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had been unitingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of unite1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English uniten, from Latin ūnītus, past participle of ūnīre “to join together, unite,” equivalent to ūn(us) “one” + -ītus -ite 1
Origin of unite2
First recorded in 1595–1605; noun use of earlier past participle of unite 1, referring to union of England and Scotland
Explanation
Use the verb unite to describe two or more things merging into one, like several angry citizens who unite to form a political group. If two countries come together to form one country, they unite. This happened in 1990 when East Germany and West Germany merged into one united Germany. If several people act as one, joining for a common goal, they also unite. The word has been used in English since the fifteenth century, and it came from the Latin unitus, "to unite," which in turn has its roots in unus, which means "one."
Vocabulary lists containing unite
Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 4
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Medieval Christendom, Lessons 1–2
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Chapter 5: The American Revolution, Lessons 3–5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
When Lantern Corps members unite their rings’ powers, they can move planets.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
All three candidates promised to change, rebuild and unite the party following its worst Holyrood election defeat since devolution.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
El-Sayed vowed to unite Democrats around defeating Rogers, who previously served seven terms in Congress, saying that he and Stevens would be focused on “bringing the party back together.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
She thought it would unite the right, but Albertans saw it as a betrayal, and she later called it a “devastating personal failure.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
I said that there was no organization in the history of South Africa to compare with the ANC in terms of trying to unite all the people and races of South Africa.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
The funding comes through the agency’s National Quantum Virtual Laboratory program, which unites researchers, industry, and government to develop and commercialize quantum technology.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
Despite sweaty, sleepless nights, Kloc sees some upside to the heat wave: “It unites the country because everyone is just as miserable.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
"That which unites comic book fans is much greater than that which divides us," he says.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
What unites the jobs of musician, producer, executive, manager?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
“The living. The dying. The fear that unites them both. It is what we do.”
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
On one critical issue, the reworking of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the automakers are presenting a united front behind the scenes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
They are united by their faith and shared ministry, the Ohio Sisters Justice Network, whose banner described the network’s use of “gospel justice” to protect democracy, end human trafficking and support immigrants.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
This time, progressive and Black political organizations have largely united behind McKinney in a historically Black district, making the incumbent vulnerable to the anti-establishment mood sweeping Democratic primaries.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
“Right now, we need to be united and take action,” he added.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Back in Romania, there was no celebration like this, not even on the day commemorating when Wallachia and Moldavia had united to form the kingdom.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
The effort is also entirely bipartisan, uniting Trump-supporting Republicans with young socialists in a fight for their land and resources.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
But, as it turns out, there is one common thread uniting each of these stars’ personal homes.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
Since Draghi’s 2024 report, the EU’s six largest economies have thrown their weight behind uniting the bloc’s financial markets under common rules and a single, more powerful supervisory body.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Reed agreed the party was "going to move very swiftly to uniting behind Andy Burnham" without "turning inwards", which he described as absolutely essential.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
If we could unite the two organizations on the island, that could set a precedent for uniting them in the liberation struggle as a whole.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
